Improvement in thill-couplings



G. D. BAILY,

THILL-COUPLING.

Patented J'an.25,1876.

, INVENTOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE...

GEORGE D. BAILY, OF SPICELAND, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT-IN THlLL-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,598, dated January25, 1876 application filed December 29, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, G. D. BAILY, ofSpiceland, in the county of Henry and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and. useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplers; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawing, and to'the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings which represent my invention, Figure 1 is thecoupling-iron; Fig. 2, the shorterjaw of the coupling-iron, showing thecircular groove therein; and Figs. 3 and 4 are side and end views of thethill-iron. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show a modification of my invention, inwhich I dispense with the groove in the shorter jaw and construct anouter hook thereon.

My invention consists in what will hereinafter be described, and pointedout in the claims.

a is the GOtlPllllg-ll'ol], which is secured to the axle by any suitableclip or other ordinary wellknown means. It has the long jaw a and theshortjaw (o The short jaw 60 has its outer end a made concave or curvedinwardly, as shown, so as to give abearing-surface for the projection onthe thill-iron, as hereinafter described. The longer jaw a has securedin it the lug or bolt a, which extends across the iron, and flush withthe outer face of the shorter jaw of, and sufficient distance in frontof the curved end a to admit of the sliding on or off of the thill-iron,as hereinafter described. I) is a circular groove, formed in the innerface of the shorter jaw a and which extends from the lower nearly to theupper edge, as shown.

Itis formed with reference to the lug a, so that the lip or flange,hereinafter described, formed on the thill-iron will slide freelytherein as the thill is raised or lowered. thill-iron, having theenlarged end or head 0 pierced by the hole 0 which slips on the lug Itsenlarged end 0 is made oval shape, as shown, so that when slipped on thelug a, and the thill turned down, the extremity or rear portion 0 willextend backward, and

neatly fit between the jaws, and flush with, or

cis the slightly beyond, the groove b. It is provided with the lateralextension 0 reaching outward flush with the outer face of the jaw a andwith the end of the lug a and which, when the iron is slipped on thelug, bears against the end a cl is a lip or flange, formed on end a? ofthe thill-iron, and so that it will extend into, and slide freely in,the groove 11 as the thill is raised and lowered. It gives steadiness tothe movement of the thill, and prevents extraordinary strain upon thelug a.

To couple the thill, it is raised to a vertical position, as indicatedin Fig. 1, when it can be easily slipped ontothe lug, and on beingturned down the lip 01 will pass into the groove b, and the extension 0will bear and turn against the curved end 61?.

It will be seen that when the thill is coupled it will have freevertical action, while it will be held rigidly in position as tolateral, forward, or rear action.

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 show a modification of my invention, in whiehisdispensed with thegroove b, and the forward hook b is substituted, andthe head 0 is made round, corresponding to the lateral extension 0. i

I prefer the device shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, as I regard it amore substantial construction.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. The combination, with the coupling-iron a and the thill-iron c, ofthe groove 1) and lip or flange d, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the coupling-iron at, having the short jaw aformed with the inwardly-curved end a and having the groove 1) on itsinner face, of the thill-iron 0, having the enlarged end 0 made ovalshape, and provided with the lip 01 and the lateral extension 0 as andfor the purposes specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE D. BAILY.

Witnesses:

J. G. BOONE, v OLIVER H. BOGUE.

